Air-valve for safety train-stops.



Nb. 757,571. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

'11. e. SBDGWIGK. AIR VALVE FOR SAFETY TRAIN STOPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IXRMWMQQ wwwto c I ag1g-fi agwla w No.757,571. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

I H. G. 'SEDGWIGK.

AIR VALVE FOR SAFETY TRAIN STOPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1903.

NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HQ-ammo wue/w coz v G W' s mmm 9 in). 75mm.

UNITED STATES- HIRAM c. SEDGWICK, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

Patented April 19, 1904.

AIR-VALVE FOR SAFETY TRAIN-STOPS.

SPECIFICATION: forming part of Letters Patent No. 7571571, dated April19, 1904 Application filed August 24, 1903.

To on whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HIRAM G. SnDcwIoK, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAir-Valves for Safety Train-Stops, of which the followin g is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railroad car truck, showingthe valve in position thereon and connected to the train-pipe of theairbrake system; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical sectional view of theair-valve and mechanism for operating it; Fig. 3, a transverse verticalsectional View on the line III III of Fig, 2; Fig. 4, a detailcross-sectional view of the airvalve; Fig. 5, a detail view of aslightly-different form of valve, and Fig. 6 a detail view of aslightly-modified form of the valve-rotating means.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide anautomatically-operating air-valve for use in connection with myautomatic trainstopping apparatus shown and described in previousapplications; and it has for its object to provide a single valve whichwhen set in motion will automatically vent the trainpipe of an air-brakesystem at'successive intervals, whereby the brakes will be graduallyapplied and the train stopped gradually and Without sudden and dangerousjars and shocks.

The invention consists in providing a valve of suitable construction,placing it in communication with thetrain-pipe of an air-brake system,and providing automatically-operating mechanism for so moving said valvethat the train-pipe will be vented at successive intervals until thebrakes are applied. The actuating mechanism is so designed that it willreturn the valve to its normal closed position and will itself cometo'rest in proper position for the next operation.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates thevalve-casing, which in the present instance is a cylinder having aninletport 2, said inlet-port being connectedby a pipe 3 tothe-train-pipe 4c of the brake system. This valve-chamber is rigidlysecured to the inner side of a casing 5, which is adapted to SerialNo.170,517. (No model.)

contain the valve-operating mechanism, and is rigidly secured to thecross-bar of the truck frame. Within the valve-chamber fits snugly arotary cylindric valve 6, which is closed at one end and open at itsother end and is provided with inlet-ports 7 through its cylindric wall.These inlet-ports are arranged at intervals around the cylinder. In theclosed end of the valve outlet-ports 8 are formed, said ports beinglocated suitable distances apart and concentric around the valve. Theseports are adapted to register with a suitable outletport 8, formed inthe casing 5. The valve is mounted on a short shaft 9, which extendsinto the casing 5 and is provided witha large gear 10. Meshing with thisgear 10, so as to ro' tate the same slowly, is asmall pinion 11, thispinion being rotated by means of a gear 12. This latter gear is mountedupon a barrel 13,

'which contains an operatingspring, said spring acting in the manner ofa clock-spring to rotate the barrel. The shaft 15 may be rotated in anysuitable manner to wind the being mounted in suitable bearings. A spring21 surrounds this rod, one end thereof bearing against a fixed stop andthe other against a collar 22, secured to said rod, said spring ed toengage the lower end of the stop-rod and force said rod upward, a spring28 being with the atmosphere.

provided to normally hold said lever clepressed. Pivoted in the casingis an actuating-lever 29, having two operating-arms 30, which extendupward in opposite directions. This actuating-lever extends downward asuitable distance below the lower end of the casing and is adapted to beengaged by a suitable contact-arin 31 or other road-bed device locatedon the road-bed by the-side of the track at any suitable point. Byproviding the two arms 30 the lever 27 will be swung upward when thelever 29 is moved in either direction by contact with the arm 31. Thestop-rod near its upper end is provided with a suitable lug 32, which isadapted to be engaged by spring locking-pawl 33 to hold said stop-rodelevated after it has been raised by the actuating-lever 30 and thelever 27 to free the fan, and thereby set in motion the valverotatingmechanism.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood, but may bebriefly described as follows: When a person desires to stop anapproaching train, it is simply necessary to raise the contact-arm 31 toits vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, or to adjust any otherroad-bed device that may be used, so that as the train passes it willcontact with the depending actuating-lever 29 and cause said lever tolift lever 27 thereby throwing up the stop-rod 23. As soon as thisstop-rod is raised a sufficient distance to release the governor-fan thelocking-pawl .33 will drop under the lug 32 and maintain said stop-rodin its elevated position. When the governorfan is released, the valve isrotated, slowing through the medium of the gears, and the inletports arebrought into register with the inletports of the valve-chamber. Thispermits air to pass fromthe train-pipe into the valve-chamber, and saidair is permitted to escape from the valve-chamber when the outlet-portsare brought into register with the outlet-port of the valvechamber. Theinlet-ports and outlet-ports of the valve are so arranged that they donot simultaneously register with the corresponding ports of thevalve-chamber. In this way the air is permitted to escape from thetrain-pipe in successive charges, and the trainpipe is never in directopen communication In this way a too free escape of air from thetrain-pipes is avoided and the brakes are gradually applied to bring thetrain to a stop without undue shocks and strains. During the rotation ofthe valveshaft the cam 18 engages the depending arm 19 of the trip-rod20 and moves said rod against the tension of the spring, and as soon asthe valve has made a complete revolution the trip-rod is released fromthe cam and is projected by the spring against the locking-pawl 33,releasing the same from the lug 32 and permitting the stop-rod to dropto its normal position, thereby interrupting the governor-fan andstopping the motor.

It will of course be understood that any de-, sired form of valve may beused to accomplish the successive venting of the train-pipe. In Fig. 5is shown a form of valve by which the train-pipe is successively ventedthrough ports 34, whichare brought in succession into register with anoutlet-port 35 in the valvecasing, thereby putting the train-pipe intocommunication with the atmosphere.

In Figs. 2 and 3 mechanism is shown by which the valve is given onerotation, and the valve isprovided with a series of ports by which thesuccessive venting of the train-pipe is accomplished. It will be readilyunderstood, however, that one port will be sufficient for thissuccessive venting of the train-pipe, provided mechanism be supplied bywhich the valve will be given a series of'rotations. Such a mechanism isshown in Fig. 6, in which shaft 9? is the valve-shaft. It will bereadily understood that by this structure the valveshaft will be given aseries of rotations before the cam releases the trip-rod and permits itto strike the locking-pawl, and thereby release the stop-rod.

It will of course be understood that this airvalve and mechanism foroperating it may be mounted on the engine or on any of the cartrucks. Itis also equally clear that one or more of these valves may be used on atrain. It is preferred, however, to mount the valve on the engine. Aspring 36 is provided to hold the valve to its seat to prevent theescape of air through the outlet-port when the valve is closed. It isthought, however, that this-spring may be dispensed with, if desired.Springs 37 are provided to maintain'the actuating-lever 29 yieldingly inits normal vertical position.

Having thus deseribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An air-valve for automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber adapted to be connected to the train-pipe of the air-brakesystem, a valve therein, mechanism connected to and adapted toautomatically move said valve to successively vent the train-pipe, andmeans adapted to be engaged by a road-bed device to set-saidvalve-moving mechanism in operation.

2. An air-valve for automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber adapted to be connected to the train-pipe of an air-brakesystem, a valve in said chamber, mechanism connected to and adapted tomove said valve to successively vent the train-pipe.

3. An air-valve for automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber, a rotary valve therein, mechanism for rotating said valveto successively vent the train-pipe, and mechanism adapted to beactuated by a road-bed device to set the valve-rotating mech anism inoperation.

ping apparatus comprising, a valve-chamber, a rotary valve thereinformed with a series of ports, mechanism for rotating said valve, and amechanism adapted to be engaged by a roadbed device to set thevalve-rotating mechan: ism in operation.

5. An air-valve for automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber, a rotary valve therein, mechanism for rotating said valveto successively vent the train-pipe, and mechanism adapted to beactuated by a road bed device to set the valve-rotating mechanism inoperation, and means' to arrest the movement of the valve after thesuccessive venting of the train-pipe.

6. An air-valve for an automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber, a rotary valve therein mechanism for rotating said valveto successively vent the train-pipe, mechanism adapted to be actuated bya roadbed device to set the valve-rotating mechanism in operation, andmeans operating automatically to arrest the valve in its closed positionafter the successive venting of the trainpipe.

7. An air-valve for automatic train-stopping apparatus comprising, avalve-chamber,

a rotary valve therein provided with a series 1 of ports, means forrotating said valve, means normally holding the valve-rotating mechanismout of operation, means adapted to be operated by a road-bed device torelease the valve-rotating means, and means for automatically arrestingthe valve-rotating mech anism after the successive venting of thetrainpipe.

8. In an automatic safety train-stop mechanism, the combination of atrain equipped with a fluid-brake system, an actuating device on theroad-bed, and a single valve device connected to the system and adaptedto successively vent the same When actuated by the road-bed device.

9. In an automatic train-stopping mechanism, a train equipped with afluid-brake system', an actuating device on the 'roadbed, and meansconnected to the system for successively removing separate charges offluid therefrom to apply the brakes gradually.

10. In combination a train equipped with a fluid-brake system, meansconnected to the system for successively venting the system to apply thebrakes, and actuating means on the road-bed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence oftwo Witnesses, this 13th day of August, 1903.

HIRAM Gr. SEDGWICK.

Witnesses: ,R. B. TREAT,

C. B. STRONG.

